Climbing asters (Ampelaster carolinianus) have got to be one of my favorite fall flowers. First and foremost, they’re very pretty. They love to climb anything around and can get up to 12 feet high. That’s quite an impressive sight when they’re covered in pink flowers. Second, they have a very limited native range, which, of course, happens to include Florida. Third, they are great for pollinators. The tiny florets that make up the flower’s center produce lots of nectar that is loved by honey bees, bumble bees, wasps, and fall butterflies. This plant was trying to climb a power pole that happened to be near the edge of the Wacassassa River. Between the lovely flowers and the myriad of insects that they attracted, they kept this photographer hopping for quite a while and loving every minute of it.